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December, 1, 2013

The Evolution of Salt Lake Academy

The Salt Lake Academy was the legacy of William B. Dougall. In the mid-1880s, Dougall was inspired by the success and growth of Brigham Young Academy and sought aid from Karl G. Maesar (BYA’s principal) to begin an academy in Salt Lake City that could offer similar services to the youth in that area.

On November 15, 1886, the Salt Lake Academy was opened and filled to capacity. Some applicants were even turned away because the school could not house them all. Over the next few years, many changes were made, including the newly founded Salt Lake Stake Board of Education’s decision to change the name to Salt Lake Stake Academy.

For decades following the school’s opening, the school was quite successful, and even had the potential to become a full-service university. But, along with many of the stake academies at the time, the school suffered great financial turmoil and was under threat of closure by the late 1920s. Finally, the school was closed in 1931 due to the Great Depression. Despite the closing, two departments continued on independently: The McCune School of Music and LDS Business College. While the McCune School of Music was closed in the 1950s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began sponsoring the LDS Business College.

The LDS Business College now services over 2,000 students from all over the United States and the world. The Church continues to sponsor the school and it is truly fulfilling Karl G. Maesar’s prophecy that “its future will be more glorious than its past!”